Lincoln’s 136-Year-Old Stonebow Clock Faces Complex Repair

A council official has stated that a 19th-Century clock, which has stopped working, is “not an easy fix”. The timepiece, situated above the Stonebow in Lincoln’s High Street, has been assisting shoppers with timekeeping since 1888. The mechanism has encountered issues since May, resulting in the clock being non-operational for the past two months. Richard Storey, of City of Lincoln Council, attributed the delay in getting the clock functioning again to its age and the requirement for specialist parts. He commented, “It’s a very complicated mechanism, with a combination of technology from the 1960s and very early clock technology from the late 19th Century.” While the mechanism was updated in 1959 with an electric motor, certain components of the clock date back to the 1800s. The council indicated that replacement parts will need to be specially manufactured by a clock repair company located in Cumbria. Mr Storey further remarked, “We would love the clock up and running as soon as possible, but they are in high demand and we’re really in the hands of the specialists.” The council has not yet provided a confirmed date for when the repairs will take place.